Dakota Fanning: I loved playing a bad-ass

Acclaimed actress Dakota Fanning has revealed she relished playing a "bad-ass" in 'Zygote'.

The 23-year-old actress stars as one of two lone survivors forced to fight for their lives in the Neill Blomkamp-directed sci-fi movie and has admitted to enjoying her on-screen role in the short film.

She shared: "I was excited for the running around and the handling of the weapons, and being chased and the fear, and all of that.

"By the end, my character becomes a bad-ass, and I liked getting to see her 20-minute journey of having to fend for herself and figure out how to get herself out of danger. I was excited by the traditional bad-assness."

Dakota previously worked with Neill on a commercial for BMW and was excited about the prospect of being reunited with the acclaimed director, whose other credits include 'Elysium' and 'Chappie'.

Speaking to Collider, she explained: "He's very direct about what he's looking for and the vibe of everything, and I appreciate that. He's also so knowledgeable about the special effects side of everything, and he explains it in a palatable way for someone like me who doesn't know anything about that.

"I could understand it and it made sense to me. He's able to mix the story with all of that, so that it doesn't become too technical of an experience. He's really good at that, which is important on a project like this."

Dakota also admitted she feels like she's currently in a good moment in her career.

The actress said: "It's been very different from making a film, just in terms of the time, but at the same time, the work is always just the work, and I'm working with such great people.

"I'm feeling very inspired by what I'm doing, and I feel like I'm in the best place I could be. It's a nice feeling."